


The Collector

by sassenach_on_the_rocks51



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-01-30 08:15:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21425047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassenach_on_the_rocks51/pseuds/sassenach_on_the_rocks51
Summary: DO NOT REPOST/REUSE MY WORK(S) WITHOUT MY PERMISSION .THIS INCLUDES APPSWhile making a delivery to a top client, the reader stumbles upon something or someone she never expected.
Relationships: Doctor Stephen Stranger/Reader
Comments: 15
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

It began as another busy day at the Auction house. With two major collections set to go on the block in a few weeks, it was all hands-on deck getting everything arranged, along with other duties. Which meant that everyone was pulling longer hours than normal, and everyone was looking forward to it all being over, especially you. The hectic schedule wouldn’t have been so bad if the rest of your life wasn’t so draining as well.

As far as everyone else at work knew, you were just another average person. An average person that somehow had the uncanny ability to read peoples moods perfectly and anticipate what might be coming next. Because of this, you could stay on top of it more than most.

So many people joked that you were psychic. Some perhaps wondered if you were an Inhuman. You let the others think what they wanted. After all, how was it possible to explain that you had the ability to see and read others by observing their energy fields and that you could see other things that no one else could ever since you were born?

You always played it off as just being good at guessing things, and for the most part, people accepted it. It made you very good at what you did, but it wasn’t without downsides, and one of the biggest ones was that you couldn’t shut it off. That and as you had learned as a child you had to limit any contact you might have with another’s energy field. If another was in a bad mood, you could easily absorb it and because you felt such things stronger than most, what was slightly irritating for others was a major hassle for you.

Because of all this, it took insane amounts of concentration to do your job and do it well. Which meant often, on the average workday, you would go home drained. And with how busy things were now, as of late, you barely had enough energy to go home, eat a quick bite and pass out cold.

All of this meant you were basically living on coffee as of late. Today alone, you had already had 3 cups and it wasn’t even lunch time yet. You were on your way to the break room for cup of coffee number 4 when your boss, Mr. Fitzgerald, a tall lanky man in his 50’s, walked in carrying a flat box. Looking him over, you saw that his energy field seemed a light red, which meant he was anxious and or irritated by something.

“(Y/N), I’ve a job for you. Two actually. I need you to run down to the printers and pick up the promotional items and I need you to drop this off. Alex was supposed to do it, but he left without taking all the items and the buyer wants it now.” Mr. Fitzgerald said, handing you the item and a slip for the buyer to sign before walking off.

Picking up items wasn’t anything out of your wheelhouse, but the delivery certainly was. But with how hectic things had been that day, you weren’t about to pass up the chance to get out of the office and get paid for it. Grabbing your bag and making sure you had the corporate card with you, you went out to hail a cab, quickly getting one, telling the driver you needed to head to Greenwich Village.

As the cab made its way, you found yourself anxious beyond words. Checking over the label, you noted that there was no name listed under the recipient, just an address. Not having any idea of who you were giving this parcel to only served to make you more nervous about the matter. Hopefully this would not take long.

Pulling up to the address, you carefully stepped out and asked the driver to wait a few moments. Looking up at the building, it would not have stood out amongst the other buildings on the block if it hadn’t been for the odd circular window design at the top of the building.

“Whomever owns this either has a lot of money, strange tastes or both” You noted.

Walking up to the door, you saw the old-fashioned address plate: 177A Bleecker Street. No name anywhere in sight. No sign of an intercom system.

Straightening yourself out, smoothing your dress and your hair, you took a deep breath and knocked on the door. For a moment, there was no answer. You knocked a second time. Again, no answer. You raised your hand to knock a third time when the door opened suddenly on its own.

As it opened, you looked, anxious to see who answered. There was no one that you could see.

“Isn’t this how people die in horror films?” You asked yourself.

Any other time, you would have just left and not looked back. That would have been the smart thing to do and you knew it. You could just leave the parcel there, but with no signature, Mr. Fitzgerald wouldn’t be pleased.

But something told you to stay. Some nagging voice somewhere, some instinct said to stay. That it was imperative that you stay. So, you did. Taking a deep breath, you walked in and instantly you found yourself stunned by the sight of the most gorgeous interior you had ever seen.

Having a great appreciation for not only older architecture, but pieces from earlier times, your eyes darted all over the place, instantly fascinated and more than a bit envious of this person’s home.

All along the sides you noted the sofas and the art pieces and other artifacts. All of them much older than you and all of them very expensive and of very tasteful design. Forgetting your purpose, a moment, you walked into the center of the room, near the massive staircase and just let your eyes take in every bit of the place. It took everything you had to not take out your phone and snap a few pictures. The only thing keeping you from doing so was the desire to not get fired.

Remembering suddenly why you were there you took a moment to collect yourself and called out “Hello? I’m from Fitzgerald Auction House, I have your package.” You said, stammering a bit. Still there was no answer.

“Hello?” You called out again, looking around for signs of anyone. Nothing.

There didn’t seem to be many options left at this point. You didn’t want to go back to the Auction House with the package nor did you want to just leave it with no paperwork to show for it. With the door still open, you could hear the cab driver honking the horn, making you more anxious. With the meter running, you wanted to be done with this and so you decided to call for help.

Reaching into you purse you grabbed your phone and looked up Alex’s number. You figured if anyone would have a solution it would be him. Finding his number, you dialed it and waited for an answer, still looking around the room.

It had rung 3 times when something caught your attention. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw something moving. Thinking you had finally reached the owners attention, you turned to address them, just as Alex answered the phone.

Something was moving towards you. Something that was looking face down into a book. Something that was floating. Something that looked human.

“Hello. I’m…Oh My God.” You cried out, nearly dropping the package.

“Hello?” Alex’s voice came through the phone “(Y/N) Are you there?”

That something suddenly looked up, eyes looking wide eyed with panic, dropping the book. Examining the apparition further, you saw that it was clearly in the shape of a human. A man in fact. A tall man with dark hair, white striped on the side, a goatee, cheekbones that could do damage to another, wearing a very strange blue outfit.

You had seen spirits before. You had been seeing them ever since you were a child, but you had never seen one so well defined before. It was almost as if you could reach out and touch it. What was this?

The being quickly started to float away when you called out to it.

“Wait! Are you actually dead?” You asked curiously.

“Am I what?” The spirit asked in a tone that suggested he was a bit offended.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that I’ve never seen a spirit like you before. Most spirits, you can barely tell what they used to be. I can see every bit of you.” You replied softly, stepping forward a bit to get a better look.

Furrowing his eyebrows, he asked surprised “You can actually see me?”

“Am I not supposed to?”

“No. Only those in tune with the Astral Plane can see us. Unless we want to be seen.” He replied confused.

“So, you are not dead?” You asked again.

“No, I am not.”

“How do you know that?” You asked curiously. “Some spirits don’t know they are dead.”

“Considering my body is on the 2nd floor right now sitting in my favorite chair and not rotting, I’m fairly certain I am not.” He replied confidently. “Wait here a moment.”

With that, the being quickly floated up to the top of the staircase and disappeared. While you waited, you suddenly remembered that you had been on the phone with Alex. Looking down at your phone, you saw that either he had hung up or you had and didn’t realize it. Quickly, you sent him a message saying that you were okay and put your phone back in your bag.

“So, do I look dead?”

Jumping at the sound, you turned to see the spirit was no longer a spirit, but a flesh and blood being. He was still clad in his blue outfit but was now also garbed in a red cape with yellow gloves on his hands and a wry smile on his face. He also bore a strange medallion around his neck and even more strange, you could not see his energy field. Even with you wearing heels, he still towered over you.

“No Sir, you certainly don’t look dead.” You replied as your heart rate slowed down a bit.

“Now its my turn for some questions.” He spoke as he began to walk around you, taking every bit of you in. His voice was deep, his tone even and gave the impression that it could make any phrase sound seductive.

“Who are you and why are you here?” He asked sternly.

Stammering you replied “I’m (Y/N) I’m from the Fitzgerald Auction House. “Reaching to your lanyard, you held up your name tag, hoping that would be enough to convince him. “My boss told me to bring you this.”

Handing him the package, you noted that his gloved hand tremored a bit. Sitting it on a nearby table he asked “Why did your boss send you? He normally sends that other one, Alex.”

“Oh, my boss sent me because I was going to be the area anyways. I normally don’t do deliveries. “You admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Still circling you like a lion, eyeing you from head to toe, he asked “What is it that you do Miss (Y/N)?”

“I do a variety of things. Everything from looking for items for potential buyers to staging the items for the website. And as of today, doing this delivery, I’ve done everything but be an auctioneer.” You replied, still a bit nervous about him circling you.

He seemed to pick this up and stopped in front of you. “Are you human Miss (Y/N)?”He asked in a way that was almost challenging.

Gathering a bit of resolve you said “As far as I know, I’m human sir. Perhaps a bit different, but human.”

“I would say you are more than a bit different, Miss (Y/N).” He replied, lifting his chin up a bit. “You had best be on your way then. You have things to pick up.”

“Oh yes, I do. Well, Good day to you sir.” You said politely. As you turned to leave he quickly appeared in front of you again, holding up the signature slip.

“You might need this.” He said with a slight smirk. Taking it from him, you placed it in your purse.

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Its Doctor.” He said formally. “Doctor Stephen Strange.”

“Thank you, Doctor Strange.” You said smiling a bit, as he stepped aside and watched you walk out the door to the taxi.

Gifted. Very gifted. More so than most. Either she was born gifted or she was granted gifts.

Turning his head subtly he said, “You let her in, didn’t you?”

The Cloak would have feigned surprise if it could have.

“No matter. I’ve the feeling that we will see her again soon. In fact, I’m sure of it.”. Closing the door, Doctor Strange went straight back upstairs to his library. His interest in you and your abilities was immense and much like back in the days of him being a surgeon, he wouldn’t stop until he had an answer.


	2. Chapter 2

Getting back into the cab, you apologized profusely to the driver and mentally vowed to give him a big tip for waiting. As you looked over to the meter, you saw that it hadn’t run at all while you were inside. Looking over to the driver, you saw that he wasn’t moving, at all. Running your hand over his face, he quickly seemed to snap out of it. It was as if time hadn’t passed for him at all.

Still in a bit of a daze over meeting the man you now knew as Doctor Strange, you tried to refocus your thoughts on getting to the printers and getting back to the office and perhaps picking up a bite to eat on the way back. The day had been interesting so far, but it wasn’t over yet.

That afternoon, you were working on updating some lots on the website when Alex came by your cubicle. Still curious about the call from earlier, he wanted to know what happened.

Looking up at Alex, a short, blond headed guy who had been with the auction house about as long as you had, you considered not telling him anything. As you were still wrapping your head around things, you decided to keep it to yourself.

“Oh, it was nothing really. Just saw a guy in speedos riding his bike. That’s all.” You said, lying through your teeth.

Quirking an eyebrow, Alex asked “Is that really it?”

“Well you are constantly telling us all the weird things you see on deliveries, I thought I would return the favor.” You said.

“Fair point.” He said, shrugging his shoulders. “Hey, I heard Mr. Fitzgerald sent you on a delivery?”

Leaning back in your chair a bit, you said “Yeah. He figured since I would be in Greenwich Village anyways.”

Crossing his arms, Alex asked “Was it over to Bleecker Street? The guy with the strange blue clothes?”

“Yeah. It was him. Wait. How did you know?” You inquired.

“I deliver to him at least once a week. He’s one of our biggest buyers.” Alex said. “No idea what he does with the stuff, but hey, I don’t get paid to wonder what he does with it all.”

At that, Alex was called to do another round of deliveries. As you turned back to your desk, you thought back to Doctor Stephen Strange. Curious as to what kind of a doctor he was, you decided to look him up. What you found surprised you.

According to sources, Doctor Strange was a 42-year-old man born and raised in New York City. He was one of the top, if not the top neurosurgeon in the world. First in his class at every level, he had performed surgeries that were once thought impossible and was a pioneer in several fields. You also read that he had a reputation for being highly egotistical, very expensive and almost impossible to see.

Looking at bit more, you saw several videos and news articles on him. A few were CNN interviews and videos of him speaking at functions. The others spoke of a car accident.

Clicking on the articles, your jaw dropped. Seeing the pictures of what was left of his expensive sports car, crushed much like a can, you were floored that he had survived it at all. Reading further, you noted that his career as a neurosurgeon was ended by this accident and recalling the tremoring of his hands, it explained it all.

What had led him to where he was now was not documented online. Of course, going from being a famous surgeon to being what he was now, whatever he was now, you could only imagine it was quite the journey.

As the day was finally wrapping up, you were looking forward to going home, sitting in the bathtub for an hour and having some Chinese food delivered. As you packed your bag, Mr. Fitzgerald walked up to your cubicle. Looking him over, you saw his energy was a light green, he was in a curious mood.

“(Y/N), how did the delivery go?” He asked as he reached you.

You didn’t know how to answer that. Telling your boss that you had stepped inside a client’s home, saw him in spirit form and saw several other odd things were not the kind of things that one said to their boss. So, you responded “It went okay. I gave the client the package and he signed for it.”

“Nothing else happened?” He asked.

Instantly, you wondered if you were in trouble. Looking over your boss again, you saw that his energy had not changed to red.

“Well I spoke with him a few moments, but that was it. Is there something wrong Mr. Fitzgerald?” You asked nervously.

“No, nothing is wrong. It’s just that the client has asked that in the future, all the deliveries of their purchases be made by you, and only you. He also wants you to handle any future inquires of his. Any idea why he would ask that?” Your boss inquired greatly curious.

There was no answer for that except “Your guess is as good as mine.” You shrugged.

Mr. Fitzgerald clearly wasn’t completely satisfied with that answer but realized that was the closest he was going to get. As Mr. Fitzgerald walked off, telling you that you could clock out, you heard a bit of a crackling noise. Looking around, you saw that suddenly a parchment envelope with your name on it in flowing script had appeared.

Picking it up, you opened it slowly. Inside was what looked to be an invitation.

“Join me tomorrow after work for coffee.”

\- S.V. Strange. M.D., Ph.D.

Flipping the invitation over, you saw that it bore a strange symbol. A symbol much like the medallion around Doctor Strange’s neck.

“This has been a very strange day.” You noted, laughing a bit inside at the pun as you stuck the invitation in your purse. Heading at the door, you thought to yourself “A coffee date with a handsome doctor. I hope work goes by quickly tomorrow.”

The next morning, you woke early, showered and spent an unholy amount of time trying to pick something to wear to work. This would have been easy enough, if it wasn’t for the fact that you were meeting Doctor Strange that evening. Since you didn’t know how long you would be working, you wanted something that would be nice enough afterwards.

Finally, with less than an hour until you had to clock in, you selected a vintage blue pencil dress and nude pumps. To go with it, you selected your favorite oval shaped sapphire pendant, the one you always wore for good luck. Checking yourself in the mirror, you hoped it would be good enough and dashed out the door.

The whole day seemed to drag on. Every task seemed to take forever to get done. To try and catch up, you ended up skipping going out to lunch and just had something delivered and continued to push through, not wanting to miss your meeting with the good Doctor.

Everyone noticed that you were anxious. They had also taken note of how you were even more dressed up than usual and several had been bold enough to inquire as to the reason, one of them being Alex.

“So, what’s the occasion?” He asked, briefly stopping by your desk.

Blushing a bit at being caught out you explained “Oh, I’m just meeting someone for coffee later.”, hoping that would shut him up.

“If that’s what you wear to meet someone for coffee, I’m curious to see what you would wear for an actual date.” He noted with a smirk.

As he left, you considered his words. Looking down, you realized that you were in fact dressed more for a “date” date than you were for coffee. But you knew you would not have time to run home and change again. Besides, you were meeting up with a famous surgeon, not some random person from a bar. That called for a bit more formality in your book.

After clocking out you headed down to the main lobby. As you neared the main doors, you were started to hear a loud crackling sound, much like the one you heard the day before. Looking around you, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary at first, until you caught from the corner of your eye, a strange glow coming from under the door of one of the storage rooms.

Reaching the door, you gently put your hand on the knob. Feeling that it wasn’t warm, you slowly opened it and to your surprise, saw a large, rotating circle of orange light. Looking through it, you saw what looked to be the foyer of 117A Bleecker Street.

“Is this for me?” You muttered aloud.

“Its safe, I assure you.” Came a familiar voice through the portal.

“Okay then. Here goes.”

Walking to the portal, you carefully stepped through it and the first thing you noticed was the sound of you heels hitting the stone floor.

“Welcome (Y/N)” came a voice from behind you. Turning towards the stairs, at the bottom stood Doctor Strange, garbed in his blue clothes, yellow gloves and red cape. He looked just as handsome as he did the day before and much like yesterday, you couldn’t see his energy at all.

“Hello Doctor. Thank you for inviting me.” You said, remembering your manners. “I admit your invitation surprised me.”

“You were surprised to be invited?” He asked, his deep rumbling voice sending a bit of a chill down your spine.

“I was, and I was surprised at how my invitation arrived. It was a beautiful one by the way.” You replied smiling.

“Shall we begin?” He asked, holding out a hand. No sooner had you taken it, then you felt a very strange sensation, a feeling of quickly moving. A gentle whooshing sound was heard and the next thing you knew, you were no longer in the entryway.

Glancing around, you saw what looked like an open sitting room, filled with antique pieces that your boss would have killed to get his hands on. Two very elegant leather chairs were waiting, next to a table loaded down with coffee cups, a carafe and sugar.

“Black with two sugars, is it?” He asked, politely.

“Yes…Wait. How did you know that?” You asked, wide eyed. “And how did we just get up here?”

“You are not the only one with gifts Miss (Y/N)” Strange replied.

A large coffee appeared on the table in front of you Sitting down, you picked up the cup and taking a sip of it, you could tell it was your favorite coffee, mixed perfectly. It helped to ease your nerves just a bit about this meeting. Sure, Doctor Strange had gone to the trouble of making this seem pleasant, but with his disposition, it was clear he was curious about you in more ways than one.

Sitting across from you with his hands clasped, Strange watched you intently. Though he knew you had what most referred to as The Sight, he knew from experience there could be far more lurking beneath the surface. Sure, you were polite. Sure, you possessed a beautiful face and figure. But experiences in other dimensions taught him the most dangerous of traps often had the most enticing of lures. It was time to test the waters.

“Tell me Miss (Y/N), how long have you been aware of your gifts?” Strange started off in a voice that was businesslike yet somehow pleasurable.

Still holding your coffee to your lips, you took another sip before replying “I’ve been aware of them my entire life Doctor. And if I am honest, I’m not sure I would call them ‘gifts.”

“What would you call them?”

“Sometimes a boon, other times a burden.”

“Some would love to have them. Perhaps even pay for them” Strange offered, having heard of others willing to pay small fortunes to gain abilities.

“Those that want them, don’t understand what they cost.” You confessed.

“And what do they cost you?”

“Mostly my day to day energy. I don’t get out much due to it. People and their energy can be too much to handle at times.” You shrugged. “They do have some advantages though.”

“Such as?”

“Being able to sense people’s moods for one.”

“Can you guess mine?”

“I don’t need powers to sense yours Doctor. Curiosity.”

“Indulge mine a moment, if you will. Sit still.”

Strange made a few odd hand gestures and conjured a what looked to be several bright red circles over you. Slowly he brought them down over you and with how slowly they moved, they reminded you of a CAT scan.

“Hmmm. Human, after all.”

“Did you think I wasn’t Doctor?” You joked lightly.

“One can never be too sure. Especially in my line of work.” He spoke firmly.

What could be his line of work, you wondered silently. As far as you knew, he wasn’t a practicing surgeon anymore, what could he be?

“May I ask what that is Doctor?”

Stephen debating answering that question. Though you were clearly more open minded to what most called the paranormal, that didn’t mean the truth of the matter wouldn’t send you screaming out into the night.

“Protecting this realm from threats.”

“What kind of threats Doctor?” You asked, taking a long drink of your coffee.

“I’m sure you remember the attack on New York…back in 2012.”

There wasn’t a person in New York who didn’t know about that. That was the day that an alien force showed up near Stark Tower and began attacking the city. It had taken the work of The Avengers to drive them away and even years later, the city was still feeling the effects of it.

“Were you involved in that Doctor?”

“No. Before my time. 4 years before it in fact.” He answered plainly.

“Do these threats come up often Doctor?” You asked curiously.

“Far more than most think. Hence why I and others keep a constant watch over this planet, and others.” He answered, keeping his piercing gaze on you.

“Am I considered a threat Doctor?” You asked, suddenly worried that was why he invited you. “I can assure you I am not. I’m just another college graduate trying to pay off student loans. Nothing more.”

Still gazing at you, Stephen leaned forward and said. “Most college graduates are not able to see onto the Astral Plane. Most college graduates would have turned and ran at the sight of the portal I conjured for you. You are not just another college graduate Miss (Y/N), that is very clear.”

You didn’t know what to say. This meeting had gone in a direction you had not expected it to and now, there was no telling the Doctor’s intentions. If he did consider you a threat, what was his next move? Would he even let you leave Bleecker Street?

“So, what do you have in mind Doctor?” You inquired.

“I intend to keep a watch on you. Until I know the abilities you possess are of no threat to this city or this reality.” He answered plainly

“Is having me handle your inquires and deliveries a part of that?” You asked, recalling the conversation with your boss earlier that day.

“It is.”

“Is there anything I can do to show you I am no threat?” You asked nervously “Perhaps if I can prove it to you..”

Stephen considered your offer for just a moment.

“There is a way.”

“Name it.” You replied, eager to prove yourself.

“It will not be something simple like a search Miss (Y/N). In order to determine your levels of power, we need to test them to their fullest.” He explained.

“What kinds of tests?”

“The kind you would never see at college.” Stephen smirked a bit, already planning which ones to use.

“What happens if I pass so to speak? What happens when I prove that I am no threat?” You asked. “Will you perhaps teach me more about my powers?”

“If you pass..” Stephen said, emphasizing the word “if”.

It was his emphasis on “if” that lit a fire in you. There was one thing that you thrived on and it was a challenge. That and the fact that there was the chance that you could learn more about your powers and perhaps be trained in how to better use them.

All your life you wondered if there could be someone out there who could mentor you in the use of these gifts. Too many times, other family members who had them either denied having them or refused to teach you, your own mother being one of them.

Finishing your last bit of coffee, you sat down the mug, leaned forward and met Doctor Strange’s gaze.

“When do we start?”

“We will start in a few days’ time. In the meantime, you will have work to do.” He said.

“Like homework?” You teased.

“Something like that.” Stephen said as he rose from his chair. Raising his arms up, he quickly conjured another portal.

Standing up you asked, “Where does this lead?”

“Home.”

“And just how do you know where I live?” You asked surprised.

“Your energy signals.” Stephen replied simply. “I’ll be in touch.”

Taking a deep breath, you walked through the portal and found yourself back in your apartment. Looking at the clock you saw it was after 8. There wouldn’t be much time before you would have to head to bed.

Changing out of your clothes, you went to the kitchen and took out some leftovers as you were too tired to cook something fresh. As you sat down to eat on the couch, you wondered what kind of tests Doctor Strange would have for you and you wondered if you would be able to get through them.

The only thing that you could guess would be that they would push you to your limits, in ways you couldn’t imagine.

“Bring it on Doctor Stephen Strange.”


End file.
